Public meeting is scheduled for Friday evening at Port Jervis Salvation Army

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PORT JERVIS — Cornerstone Family Healthcare will host a public meeting to hear the community’s views about its plans to establish “a medication assisted treatment plan” for people addicted to opioids.

The meeting will take place on Friday, Feb. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 99 Ball Street, Port Jervis. Cornerstone plans to establish a methadone/suboxone walk-in clinic in Port Jervis, but has other medical programs in the city as well.

Controversy is swirling about both the location and whether the facility should come to Port Jervis at all.

City officials and residents acknowledge there is a drug problem in Port Jervis. But many question whether it’s any worse than in other places, and if the clinic is established, will the facility serve all everyone in the area who needs treatment.

Patients are currently bused to Newburgh, N.Y., where they get methadone or suboxone, a replacement drug that contains small amounts of opiates. Some reports say ex-addicts trade doses right outside treatment centers.

The proposed clinic will have area quotas. Many have expressed concern that patients will come from outside of Orange County, N.Y., from nearby Pike County and Sussex County in New Jersey. Some accuse the program of being a money-making operation, and question the effectiveness of the treatment, saying it just replaces one drug with another. Others say there’s a dire need for a treatment facility, and anything that saves lives should be welcomed.

The placement of the proposed facility has also caused debate. Many oppose the proposed location on Pike Street near the train station, where Port Jervis's renaissance efforts are centered. Many residents say the treatment center should be attached to a medical facility and located further from residential areas, youth centers, recreational facilities, and schools.

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